Cyber Defense Responses
Provide (2) 150 words substantive response with a minimum of 1 APA references for RESPONSES 1 AND 2 below. Response provided should further discuss the subject or provide more insight. To further understand the response, below is the discussion post that’s discusses the responses. 100% original work and not plagiarized. Must meet deadline.
RESPONSE 1:
I can think of a few different web based firms that offer online security checks. I personally do trust these types of services. Of course I would only ever use well known software like Norton or MacAfee. I’ve never heard about anything going wrong with utilizing services like these and I have definitely seen things go wrong while operating on a PC or laptop without protection.
Norton Security offers different security options that range from Plus ($19.99), Standard ($25.99), Deluxe ($29.99), and Select ($99.48). These different options which vary by price also vary by what the plan covers. Mainly, the less expensive options have less levels of protection versus the more expensive plans which get additional benefits or areas of security. Looking at the most expensive plan, the Select Plan, the coverage options seem pretty extensive, it’s a plan I would go with if I chose to use this service. There is security for 5 different devices, PC Cloud Backup, Virus Protection, Parental Controls, Private Browsing with VPN, Stolen Funds Reimbursement, etc. This plan and coverage is pretty in depth. I would say that this type of software is one that I would trust and I would recommend to people, especially with windows computers. There have been many issues over the years with flaws in windows security allowing for data breaches via way of hackers gaining access to networks and devices. I wouldn’t want to risk something like that and I feel that most people have a lot of information stored on their devices these days, probably more information than ever before as the world continues to transform to an all electric operating system. These days most people have thousands of pictures on their devices, important scanned documents, school and medical related documents and paperwork, etc. This puts us all in a very vulnerable position because if anyone were to gain access to these devices they can steal the information, they can lock it, and they can destroy it all together.
¹ Norton. Cyber Safety. 2021.
Felicia
RESPONSE 2:
There have been times in the past were I had to restore to using one of these free services to scan my system. Free tools such as Avast antivirus have been a great help in detecting some of the standard malicious software; however, this protection is limited in its capacity. If you want those additional features, it will cost you. There are many free security options out on the web, but there are even more that have been found to be malicious. Some of these rogue security applications will take names similar to those of respected developers or official-sounding names such as BitDefender 2011 or Windows XP Recovery, which will be used to trick unsuspecting users into installing them on their systems (Prakash & Parameswari, 2016). Typically deployed after a user visits a questionable website which will alert the user to possible infection and offer a link to download the free security software. Once on the system, the user will be bombarded with phony alerts stating that their system has been compromised further and would require a higher level of protection at a cost to the user. Already at this point, the user has opened themselves up to the installation of all forms of nasty malware, including rootkits, trojans, and ransomware.
I have since moved on to other antivirus options such as McAfee since the service was free through the military. However, McAfee offers a subscription-based service, with multiple tiers, with prices ranging from $19.99 to $39.99. The standard features provided with this security solution range from its standard antivirus protection, VPN licenses, encrypted storage, and password management. Some of these services are unnecessary, such as the 128-bit encryption for storage, which encrypts data on a hard drive to protect against unauthorized viewing. The encrypted storage feature can be found on any modern system. Another feature offered is the password manager, which stores all your passwords in a single repository. It also suggests sufficiently solid passwords and automatically holds them for you. Although this makes password management a breeze, a compromise in this area could reveal all your passwords to an adversary. Luckily all this information is protected with encryption, and if the anti-malware protection is being used, it should block any malware that would capture this data.
-Joshua
Prakash, G., & Parameswari, M. (2016). On reviewing the implications of rogue antivirus. Journal of Information Ethics, 25(2), 128-139. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/scholarly-journals/on-reviewing-implications-rogue-antivirus/docview/2064887596/se-2?accountid=8289
McAfee. (n.d.). McAfee Total Protection 2021: Beyond Antivirus. McAfee.
